(1)Growth and Characterization
of Nanostructured Materials (www.phy.uab.edu/Research/NanoscienceResGroup/NNGIndex.htm)
:In this program, we focus on the growth of nanostructured
materials by chemical vapor deposition and pulsed laser deposition
techniques. These nanostructured coatings contain diamond particles or carbon
nanotubes with characteristic dimensions in the 5-50 nm range in an amorphous
matrix. These coatings are deposited on a variety of metallic substrates like
titanium alloys, cobalt chrome, molybdenum, and rhenium. These nanostructured
materials are characterized by a variety of techniques including Raman
spectroscopy, thin film x-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, Nanoindentation
hardness and adhesion measurements, and electron microscopy.

(2)Chemical Vapor Deposited
Single Crystal Diamond and Designer Diamond Anvils (www.phy.uab.edu/research/DOE/Index.htm):In this program,
we focus on the growth of high quality single crystal diamond using microwave
plasma chemical vapor deposition technique. In collaboration with Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, designer diamond anvils with encapsulated
microcircuits have been fabricated for applications in high-pressure
research. These designer anvils have been successfully tested to megabar
pressures in a diamond anvil cell device.In this group, efforts are also underway to grow a 10 mm synthetic
diamond mono crystal with chemical vapor deposition technology.

(3)High Pressure – High
Temperature Materials Research (www.phy.uab.edu/research/HighPresMatGroup/HPMGIndex.htm): This program
is focused on the phase diagrams of rare earths and actinide metals,
Fullerenes C60 and C-70 at high pressures and temperatures. These materials
are studied in a diamond anvil cell using laser spectroscopic and x-ray
diffraction techniques. The x-ray diffraction studies are carried out at the
X-17C beam line at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at the
Brookhaven National Laboratory and high-pressure beam lines at the Advanced
Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory.Nanoindentation hardness studies are also
carried out on pressure-quenched samples to investigate mechanical properties
of superhard materials.

National Science
Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory (LLNL-DOE), National Institute of Dental
and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and industrial research contracts support
our research activities

Facilities in Materials
Research Laboratory and High Pressure Laboratory:Back to top